Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: A power play in the Arctic, Nigeria-UAE pen trade deal, US used civilian-appearing plane in first boat strike, Former NYC mayor nets crypto windfall

​NTB/Cornelius Poppe via REUTERS

Norway's Queen Sonja views a travel direction signpost as she visits Bjornoya island of the Svalbard Norwegian archipelago, June 14, 2025.

NTB/Cornelius Poppe via REUTERS
Make us preferred on Google
1920: Norway is tightening its grip on Svalbard, a remote archipelago near the North Pole rich in rare-earths and vital for satellite and missile monitoring, in a bid to keep rivals out of the Arctic. The archipelago is part of Norway, but a 1920 treaty has allowed almost anyone to live there without a visa. Oslo is asserting more control in restricting voting rights from foreigners and blocking land sale to foreign buyers.

$2 billion: Nigeria and the UAE signed a deal on Tuesday aimed at expanding non-oil trade, a deal that includes a $2 billion climate fund to support Nigeria’s green-energy transition. The deal between one of Africa’s biggest economies and the Gulf state comes as Nigeria aims to hit net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.

11: When the Trump administration launched its first attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat traveling from Venezuela last September, it did so using an aircraft that looked like a civilian plane – a move that could be deemed a war crime under international armed conflict standards. The attack killed 11 people. Administration officials rejected the claim of possible war crimes.

$2.5 million: Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a memecoin yesterday and, after the token’s value skyrocketed, over $2.5 million of liquidity was withdrawn. The move has sparked accusations that the former mayor engaged in a “rug pull,” in which a famous figure or promoter hypes a token before cashing out and leaving investors with losses.

More For You

The EU steels itself for tariffs
Farida Dowidar
The trade bloc is also reducing its quota of tariff-free steel imports, as trade tensions mount with Beijing. The EU’s goal is to reduce its near-$400 billion annual trade deficit with China. However, the move could hurt other steel exporters with whom the EU has solid relations, including the UK, Ukraine, and Japan. Brussels isn’t the first to [...]
Sri Lanka launches drones against… mosquitoes
Farida Dowidar
Sri Lanka is facing one of the worst outbreaks of the mosquito-borne dengue virus in years. Amid energy shortages sparked by the war in Iran, dengue cases are straining hospital resources. In a bid to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, the Sri Lanka Air Force has launched drones to detect sites where the insects breed across the country’s [...]
Mass layoffs inbound at Volkswagen
This is not Fahrvergnügen. The company is set to axe one-sixth of its work force. The move reflects the tough fortunes of Germany‘s auto sector, which is under pressure from the flood of lower-cost Chinese car exports, as well as the effects of the Iran war and US tariffs. [...]
Record temperatures roil France
Farida Dowidar
An astonishing heat wave has swept across Europe this week, with France the hardest hit. The country recorded its hottest-ever day on Tuesday, only to break the record again on Wednesday. The extreme heat has led to tragedy: 40 people have drowned nationwide as they seek relief from the unbearable temperatures – many of them teenagers and swimming [...]